December 28, 2017 - The Annual NBSHF Induction and Awards Dinner continues to be a major community event. The 37th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner for the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame was held on May 6, 2017 at the Best Western. The 2017 Inductees were: Barb Wellard (Golf), George Couchie (Powerlifting), Bev Phippen (Powerlifting), Chris Pigott (Volleyball), Mark Kosturik (Hockey). Fifteen Sport Awards were also handed out to 16 recipients and 1 team.

The NBSHF is close to finishing work on the North Concourse of Memorial Gardens. All of the memberís plaques, photo showcases, and some memorabilia displays are now in this location as well as the Lounge area. The large plaques that were inside the arena are now hanging in the lobby. The NBSHF has also established a Long Term Plan for the Concourse.

The North Bay Sports Hall of Fame has been honouring the best in North Bay sports for 40 years and to celebrate has produced a unique book that relates a number of local sports history tales that cover more than one hundred years in time as well as honouring Hall inductees and showcasing over 300 heritage sports photographs.

FLASHBACKS - They Were Our Heroes (Part 2) follows the original They Were Our Heroes published in 2012 but it is completely different in that it not only brings the Hall story up to date but also tells seven absorbing stories about North Bay’s sports history including the 20 year saga of the North Bay Centennials. “This is the first time that the Centennial story has been fully put together,” NBSHF Chair Bill Jacko pointed out today, “and it is a fascinating tale, full of all sorts of heroes and even the odd villain.” Flashbacks actually tells the story of 40 years of Junior hockey in North Bay with chapters devoted to the NOHA Junior A decade and the Trappers ten years in the POHA as well as the Centennials reign from 1982 to 2002.

The 400 page book, written and researched by Pete Handley and edited by Brent Pigott with a foreword by Colin Vezina, also contains four other sports tales spanning more than a century. “Berlin, Fate and the Birth of the North Bay Canoe Club” tells the intriguing story of the start of North Bay’s most pre-eminent sports club - which sent local athletes to five consecutive Olympic Games. There is a chapter devoted to the history of Wallace Park - North Bay’s original Memorial Gardens ; another is a biography of one of North Bay’s hockey greats, the late Ken Wharram who “Put the Scoot in the Scooter Line.” Dave Minden, who authored a history of the Nordic Ski Club in 2002,was kind enough to bring that story up to date with a special segment in Flashbacks.

FLASHBACKS also features some 150 heritage sports photographs and around 150 other pictures are tied in with the various stories. Space is also devoted to each inducted member of the NBSHF. “ This is a local sports history book,” Jacko stated,” and there aren’t too many of those around.”

FLASHBACKS - They Were Our Heroes (Part 2) is available at Gulliver’s on Main Street as well as at Discovery North Bay Area Museum, Memorial Gardens box office, City Hall 2nd floor Parks & Rec department and various Board members. Proceeds go to the NBSHF to allow it to continue its work honouring the best in North Bay sport.

Work on the NBSHF Photo Archive continues and now includes approximately 7,000 scanned photos of sports history in North Bay. We continue to look for historic local sporting photos to scan into the archive.

The Planning Committee is attempting to update it’s master address list for hall members. If you have moved or have an email (we don't have email addresses for many of our members) please send changes, updates to Brent Pigott - bepigott@sympatico.ca as soon as possible.

As part of its mandate to preserve North Bay’s sporting history, the NBSHF is interested in borrowing heritage sports photos in order to scan and archive them as well as present them to the public in the form of photo displays. If you have any historic photos that you would be willing to loan to the NBSHF contact Brent Pigott at 705-495-1463 or Pete Handley at 705-472-3573. The photos will be scanned into our system and the originals will be returned to you. We are also interested in displaying sporting artifacts in our showcases at Memorial Gardens. If you are willing to loan or donate such items to the NBSHF, please contact either of the above.

The NBSHF has been in operation since 1977 and is always looking for valid individuals to induct into the hall. If you feel someone in your organization, or someone you know, is worthy of being considered, please find an application form and other information you require on this website. You could also contact NBSHF Chair Bill Jacko at 705-476-1429 or Secretary Pete Handley at 705-472-3573 for further information or an application form.

The NBSHF continues to try to stay in touch with NBSHF Inductees. So that we can start to send out our notices electronically, inductees are asked to please forward your email address to bepigott@sympatico.ca. Any biography updates, errors or omissions in the website biographies should be directed to Brent Pigott at the same email address listed above.

In Memorium
The Board of Directors of the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame regretfully announces the passing away of NBSHF Members Jo Wallace and Thelma Durrell Edgar. We would like to extend deepest sympathies to their families.